Overhead runway



May 15., 1923.

P. MARTIN OVERHEAD RUNWAY Filed Dec. 4, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VIII/[W7 I May 15, 1923.

P. MARTIN OVERHEAD RUNWAY Filed Dec. 4. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 15, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE'.

PIERRE MARTIN, or BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

, OVER AD RUNWAY.

Application filed December 4, 1922. Serial No. 604,888;

. heavy pieces onto slabs and machines, and

the transport of the latter. The invention is of advantageous application every time that it is desired to impart horizontal or vertical movements to loads which are too heavy to be transported manually. r

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means oftransport of the type referredto which maybe constructed at low cost, is easy: of erection," and is capable of answering thev requirements of the most varied industries. i f

With these'main objects in view,the overhead runway according to the invention comprises a" suitable aerial trackcomposed of two rails, preferably ordinary joists, and a certain numberof carriers of particular-suitable construction,'adapted to run on and a'long'the said track. f 1

In order that the invention may be more readily understood certain embodiments thereof are, by way of example only, illus-' trated by wherein? v Figs. 1 and 2 are respectively a lateral elevation and a vertical transverse section of a carrieraccording to the invention, in position on the track-formed of two joistsy Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionon the line A BOfFig.l. Fig. 4 is a view from above showing the arrangement of'the aerial track, including a three-way"junc't ion;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 aretr'ansverse sections through the aerial track, showing '-various' methods of suspension of the rails.

The carriers carry the loads to be transported in an indirect manner, that is to say, that the chains and'hoisting apparatus or the accompanying drawings,

lifting tackle carrying the loads are suspended from the said carriers. As maybe seen from Figures land 2, the carriers runhing on the aerial track constituted by'the two joists'l, comprise a carrier body 20f cast steel or cast iron, and the upper central portion of the said bodyforms a bearing for a spindle or short shaft 3 on which are mounted two wheels 4, ball bearings being provided between the wheels 4 and the spine dle 8, as shown at 5, and the said wheels being maintained in position on the spindle 3 by means of the cotter or split pins 6.' The wheels 4 run directly on the flanges of the joists 1 forming the track. Eachcarrier further comprises two guiding rollers 7 rotating freelyon two vertical spindles 8 secured in the carrier body 2.v Suitable 'spaces '9 are provided into said body for locating the roller 7 and the diameter of the said rollers is slightly larger than the width of the body 2, so that the said rollers guide the carrier in the curves. Two projecting buffers 10 are provided respectively in front'and at the rear of-the upper portion of the carrier body I '2, the said buifers serving to support the shocks or impacts in cases where two carriers come to bump against one another. Each carrier finally comprises a central ring or hook 11 secured in a suitable manner, so I as to allow the suspension ofthejchains or of hoisting apparatus or lifting tackle;

The carriers are caused to move along the track" by the workman himself, who goes in the desired direction while pushing in front I ofhim either the piece of work'suspended to the chains, or the latter themselves. *As the wheels 4 are mounted on ball bearings, the effort required to push the carrier along the'trackwith a loadof say iabout oneton is very slight;

The front and the rear of thebo'dy of the "carriers are shaped so as to form a sharp edge as shown at 12 .(Fig. 3), so as to make easier the passage at junctions or bifurca tion s. The latter, as may be seen from Fig.

4, are indeed constituted'by the mere'meetinglof the double rails forming the track .1, without anyswit'ch device. The inner-rails of the track meet each other at a very sharp angle, and the said rails at theinmeeting point form a very'sharp edge 13 slmilar to a switch point. Consequently, the slightest eifort to the right or to" the left exerted on the carrier causes the sharp edged end 12 (Figs/1 to 3) of the carrier body to engage one or the other face of the sharp"'edge.13 constituted bythe inner rails at their meet ,ing'point, and consequently the switching towards one direction or theother is at fected witheut'efforts and without any of the risks. resulting from negligence in the operation of an. ordinary switch device.

The aerial track is, as illustrated by Figures 5, 6 and 7, suspended by means of suitable chairs or brackets secured to the ceiling of the workshop, to existing joints, to transverse steel members themselves secured to a rolling-bridge-track, 0r fixed in brick walls, supported on columns, or held in position in any other suitable way, Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, the rails l'may be suspended by means of flat iron hangers 14 fixed to an existing joist such as 15, or, as shown in Figure 6, they may be cleated to chairs 16 made of steel-plate and angle-iron and secured to-a joist such as 15. Fig. 7 shows an example wherein the chairs 16 to which the rails 1 are fixed are suspended from a steel work bracket 17 secured to an existing wall18. It is obvious that the arrangement and methods of suspension of the track vary according to the needs of each individual case.v For instance, in the case of a threeway junction, the double rails 1 formingthe threesides of the triangle may as shown in Fig. 4 be suspended by means of fiat iron hangers 14', somewhat similar to those illustratedby Fig. 5 but riveted or bolted to a suitable plate '19 itself secured to an existing joist such as 15. The radius of the curves also varies accordingto the size of the carrier, and the saidsize itself varies according to the importance of the load which it is desired to transport; Inmost cases, a radiusof about 2 r and in certain cases evenlf 8" may be adopted and in all cases the radius of the curves is much less than in known types of overhead runway and may be sufliciently small toallow the passage of the carriers with the loads in. any corner, andto permit every machine being reached.

The type of. the lifting tackle used in conjunction with the above described carrier evidently varies according to the load to be transported; for instance, for heavy loads, hoists will be used, while for medium loads pulleyblocks will be .employed, and for light loads levers and small winches may be adopted. Similarly, the devices provided togripor take up the load vary according to local needs: they may consist of hooks, rings, nippers, claws for transporting trees a-nd joists, suitable vessels for transporting powdery material, casks for transporting liquids, special devices-for taking up cases,

barrels andvarious other loads.

Thecarriers may if desired be provided with certain auxiliary devices, suchas for instance. a-device for securingthe wheels so as toilock the carriers'in position, in cases where they have'to remain at astandstill in fixed places,.and the. loadshaveto be pushed obliquely; For instance, when. pieces. of work have to be hoisted intov position ina cwts.) may advantageously be provided with a rack by means of which the loads may be lifted of a given distance (say aboutQO) with much greater rapidity than by means of'ordinary lifting tackle.

Finally, auxiliary chains may be provided to pull the carriers along in cases where the load has to be lifted too high to be within reach of the workmen, as frequently happens when the track has to be arranged above the axis of a row of machine tools. I

One of the main advantages of the in vention consists thereinthat the workmen. need no more tire themselves out to bring his work. to the machine and that. the materials do not remain uselessly in the work shops and become cumbersome. On the other hand thedevice does not hinder the normal life of the workshop either in service or when not in service. Anotheradvantageof the inventionconsi-sts therein, that'no switch device has to' be operatedat the. junctions or bifurcations, and that no mechanical power is required. a

The advantages ofthe, inventionstill. in-

crease in importance in certain applications scribed on two parallel tracks are-interconnected by means of a suitable compound girder extending transversely in relation to the saidv parallel tracks 1 and, forming itself a track fora thirdcarrien. This girder being at the ends pivotedabout avertical axis in relation to the two. carriers-carrying same, and being therefore able to take any angir lar position in relation to the tracks on which the said two carriers run, itwill-bereadily understood that the rolling bridge. thus formed is. extremely. adaptable and thatthe said application ofthe invention consider ably increases the area. within which loads can be. taken up and deposited. Indeed, owing to the pivotal end connections of the transverse girderstrack to the two carriers carrying the said. girder, the bridge is able. to run not-only on. paralleltracks the perpendicular distance between which is equal to. length of said bridge, butalso-on tracksth'e perpendicular distance: between v bridge then forming which is smaller and in relation to which the transverse track of the third carrier is capable of taking an oblique or diagonal position, and on two tracks crossing each other at an angle, the girder-track of the the third side of a triangle of which the said two tracks form the two other sides.

It must be expressly understood that the invention is in no way restricted to the details illustrated, and more particularly that the shape and the size of the carrier parts, as well as the arrangement of the overhead track, may vary according to the needs of each individual case, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim: v

1. In an improved overhead runway, the combination with a suspended track formed of two parallel rails of a plurality of carriers each comprising: a carrier body fitted with a shaft having two carrier wheels mounted thereon by means of ball bearings,

two buffers respectively on the front and on the rear end of said carrier body, two vertical guiding rollers located in suitable spaces of said body and of a diameter somewhat larger than the thickness of the body, and

means, secured to the carrier body, for the suspension of chains, lifting tackle and like intermediate devices for the suspension of the load, substantially as described.

2. In an improved overhead runway, the combination with a suspended track formed of two parallel rails of a plurality of car= riers each comprising: a carrier body fitted with a shaft having two carrier wheels mounted thereon by means of ballbearings, two buffers respectively on the front and on the rear end of said carrier body, two vertical guiding rollers located in suitable spaces of said body and of a diameter somewhat larger than the thickness of the body, means on the carrier body for'facilitating the passage of the carriers at. junctions or bifurcations by engagement with point-like sharp edges formed by the inner rails of the track at their meeting point, and means, se cured to said carrier body, for the suspension of chains, lifting tackle and like in-- termediate devices for the suspension of the load, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed hereunto my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. v

, PIERRE MARTIN. Witnesses G. G. ZOLEAU, ANNO GRAND REE. 

